Tag Archives | Hand Animated

Ryan was “a Canadian animator. A gentleman panhandler. One of the pioneers of Canadian animation. Oscar nominee. Poor beggar. An artist unable to create. God observing the world. Fallen angel. Arrogant. Shy. Broken. Not destroyed.” 30 years ago, Ryan produced some of the most influential animated films of his time. Years later, plagued by alcoholism and drug abuse, he was destitute on the streets of Toronto.

In this rather captivating and haunting short, called simply “Ryan”, Chris Landreth animates a tribute to Ryan Larkin.

In Ryan we hear the voice of Ryan Larkin and people who have known him, but these voices speak through strange, twisted, broken and disembodied 3D generated characters… people whose appearances are bizarre, humorous or disturbing. Although incredibly realistic and detailed, Ryan was created and animated without the use of live action footage, rotoscoping or motion capture…but instead from an original, personal, hand animated three-dimensional world which Chris calls ‘psychological realism’.